Really soon, I started to think in English and dream in English. Not all the time, even sometimes my head was mixing up both languages, in a very specific fluent and neat way, and yet very understandable. My inner voice integrated this new language quite naturally. And hearing it everywhere all around me, every day, and sometimes continuously (meaning without any French interruption for a while) brought my inner voice(s) to speak to me in English. It could have seemed such a hullabaloo from the outside, but those voices kind of established themselves very naturally, without any confusion.

I think about New Zealand every single day. Sometimes a picture of a mountain pops up into my mind. Sometimes it’s Lake Te Anau, some other times it’s a familiar face. When I think of some specific situations and occasions, it draws a smile on my face. I often close my eyes and breathe deeply for I need to regain some states of mind, plenitude, calm, and confidence.
Then, comes up a song. Hundreds of songs, actually.

Everything has an ending. Except for sausages which have two.
New Zealand. This time, that’s the end.
I’ve been thinking and thinking again about my last weeks in New Zealand. I’ve even done a list of what I wanted to achieve: hiking the Tongariro Crossing, seeing Mount Taranaki, watching the sunrise in Gisborne, going back to Napier, helping again in Hahei Beach, doing a HelpX in a Maori family, going to a yoga retreat, tramping for a few days,… My list was as long as a novel. Almost a year passed away and yet there was still many experiences I wanted to have before leaving. It drove me mad to try to make my last moments in New Zealand meaningful and unforgettable.
It only took one English guy to finally let this go.

The countdown has started. I have a little bit more of two weeks left here in New Zealand. This is the end of my last road trip, I’m leaving Flo for good this time.

We’re in Auckland. Auckland all over again. Auckland, my city of arrival. Auckland, the city of unforgettable encounters. Rainy Auckland, boring Auckland. You’ve seen nothing of New Zealand if you’re staying in Auckland, and yet, while travelling North Island, Auckland is where all the roads are leading to. I’m leaving Auckland with relief every time and yet I keep coming back there.

A former bookseller, who couldn’t get enough of pictures and paper dreams. Retrained as a Travel Agent, who couldn’t get enough of new travel inspirations. Retrained as a novice adventurer. Novice Adventurer since 2015 in New Zealand, Japan, Bali, Singapore and Taiwan. I caught the travel bug and I won’t stop anytime soon.